So I may be a food snob, geek, elitist, or whatever you want to call me; but the genre of the All-American Dive is quite possibly my favorite food genre out there.  I get giddy at the thought of a local greasy spoon or neighborhood dive serving up the same culinary landmarks for generations.  I am lucky (my cholesterol levels are not so much)  that I have such a place less than a mile from my loft.  Mario’s Fishbowl, here in Morgantown, WV, is a local gold mine of culinary goodness and the peak of beer perfection in my mind.

The “fishbowl” in the establishment’s name comes from the steins that the beer is served in which look more like  a household pet containment device than beverage service container.  Ice cold, larger than life, it’s more than just “a beer”- it’s a magical beer slushy.  The beer containment devices are kept in a freezer, and when the hoppy goodness hits the frozen surface it interacts and creates what might be the most amazing drink known to man.  And the food, dear lord the food….

Wings= AMAZING

Mario’s Fishbowl has what I would VERY easily call the world’s best wings.  I know I might be setting some people on fire with that statement, but it’s no secret that outside of Buffalo, NY, Morgantown has some of the best wings around.  They have carved out a niche market in these parts, and Mario’s (in my opinion) is the peak of perfection. the wings are an amazing mix of juicy meat and crispy flesh surrounded with a very nice orange glow of buffalo sauce.  You can’t have Mario’s without having a side or three of their famous bleu cheese dressing.  The dressing is house made like everything else (to the best of my knowledge) that Mario’s serves.  I was so distracted by eating my wings that I forgot to take a formal photo of the homemade potato chips.  ”Fishbowl Chips,” as they are called, are the ultimate addition to the Dive meal.  Perfectly fried to a crispy crunch, they are well suited for the bottom-of-the-plate buffalo sauce and extra bleu cheese. In typical Dive fashion, Mario’s is usually filled with regulars seated at the mix and match tables, window booths, and old fashioned lunch counter.

The walls of the establishment are lined with notes and memories of fishbowl lovers and regulars alike.  You are likely to see comments of all parental ratings and sobriety tests.  Most write their messages on the backs of the long side of cigarette cartons, the kind of kitsch and ephemera that makes me giggle with glee.  The menu not only features the kick ass wings, but also a pleasant mix of Dive/Bar food that pleases with not only flavor, but also price.  Needless to say the fishbowl is one-of-a-kind and not to be missed by any foodie or breathing human.  Happy wing eating kids.

The end of another memorable fishbowl experience......

]]> http://joelhblog.com/food-geek/food-geek-dives-glorious-dives/feed/ 0 http://joelhblog.com/food-geek/birthday-goodness/ http://joelhblog.com/food-geek/birthday-goodness/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:00:27 +0000 joelhblog http://joelhblog.com/?p=96 I am blessed (and cursed) to be born on April Fools day, a VERY fitting birthday for me. Being a baker and what some would call a “cake snob”,  I opted to make my own birthday cake cake… again…  Nothing against my friends and co-workers, I just enjoy being in my kitchen and coming up with a cake that represents me and my current tastes and obsessions at the moment.  As I was driving home from work yesterday, I was a ball of childlike wonderment coming up with what I wanted to make for birthday 2009 (God, I am getting too close to 30 for comfort, ha ha ha ).  I knew it was going to be a banana cake base, but beyond that I was open for suggestion.  I needed eggs for the banana cupcake, so I went to the grocery store looking for inspiration and decided I would make a traditional banana cupcake (ala’ joel with homemade vanilla bourbon extract and baby ice cream bananas) and pair it with a Nutella Cream Cheese buttermilk frosting. As you can see they turned out to be pretty damn cute, and I guess we will see what they end up tasting like… Here is the recipe if you want to celebrate my birthday with me today

“Tuesday night” Easy like Sunday Morning Banana Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1/4 – 1/2  cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream Butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy (about 3 minutes) add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla, and banana goo.  Mix together dry ingredients, add half of dry to the wet mixture, add 1/4 cup buttermilk, and the second half of dry mix and mix to incorporate.  Add up to another 1/4 cup of buttermilk if mix looks too dry (you want it about the consistency of a thick pancake batter).  Scoop into lined cupcake pans and bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into cupcake.

Nutella Cream Cheese Buttermilk Frosting

• 2 packages of cream cheese (room temp)
• 1 container (about a 1-1/4 cups) Nutella
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons buttermilk

Method

Mix Cream cheese, Nutella, vanilla, and milk on high with the paddle attachment in your mixer. Add sugar slowly and beat again until light and fluffy like a magical bunny.

(cooks note:  i just licked some of the frosting off the paddle… all i have to say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME, and here is to 27+ more years of baking!)